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Episode 70 – Nintendo Switch / Bloodbending

The only podcast with its very own philosopher’s stone, it’s Infinity +1! This week Jason and Kyle are joined by returning guest Dustin Schellenberg to wax on about the new and exciting release of the Nintendo Switch! What do you think about the launch games? Answer in the comments below!

Then in the second segment, Alex Mellen wrote about the danger of controlling others in The Dark Art of Bloodbending. Does removing someone’s ability to choose cost the controller something spiritual? When does giving over control feel like the better choice? Can bloodbending, “dark” Force powers or Unforgivable Curses ever be used for a truly good purpose? Listen on and find out!

From Captain Kirk to Commander Shepard, Jason's love for science fiction extends to the final frontier. When he's not geeking out, Jason can be found studying communications at Red River College in Winnipeg.

As much as I believe that very few things are inherently evil, and that it’s our motivation and attitudes that make things good or bad, there are still some things that I don’t want to get into, because I want it to be as hard as possible for me to make the wrong choice. Particularly if I’m taking away someone’s ability to choose.

My sister and I were talking about Passengers, and what we would do in that situation. She thought that she couldn’t actually wake someone up – that she’d get as far as standing in front of the pod, knowing how to open it, but couldn’t go through with it. For me, I wouldn’t want to know how to open the pod. I’d bury the information as deep as I could, so that I couldn’t open it spur of the moment based on my emotions, but rather it be as difficult as possible so I would be forced to make the choice with the rational part of me, rather than the emotional.

In the same way, I wouldn’t want to know how to bloodbend, because its uses become self-centered very quickly, and it would become far to easy to use in anger.

I guess it comes down to the whole ‘with great power comes great responsibility’ thing, and in some cases, I’m not willing (or even sure if I’m able) to take on the responsibility.

Alex Mellen

Julia, that’s similar to the conclusion I came up with in the article. It’s not that bloodbending is evil, but the mindset you have to adopt while learning it can turn you toward evil so easily, and the temptation to use it would be always there. The podcasters sort of touched on that first aspect with respect to Force lightning, but I think it also applies to bloodbending, as displayed through the woman who taught it to Katara.

Thanks for commenting and sharing your view on the topic! It’s encouraging to see people engaging with it.

Jeremy Klassen

Referring to the Bloodbending conversation, I found it a very interesting conversation, with some unique ideas. After thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that I would not bloodbend someone if they asked for me to in a moment of weakness.

My question would be, ‘is a person the same person through time (from birth to death) or can you be a different person from who you were before?’ If who you are changes, then the previous instance of a person should not be allowed to enslave a future instance of themself. Even if it is the same person throughout time, I am still forcing a different will onto their current existance. I’m not sure I like that.

Once again, fantastic discussion, and I hope you continue these for a long time.

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The nerd and geek community is often considered by society to be misfits and outcasts, those living on the fringes of society, and often a childhood stage to be left behind at adulthood. In reality geeks are the connoisseurs and fanatics of science fiction, fantasy, comics, anime, board games, video games, computers, and all the art and creativity that comes along with these things.

They are often the forward thinkers of our society, undeterred by what is perceived as impossible with full belief that it can be, it should be, and will be possible one day. We seek to be a holy sanctuary for these troubadours of society.